International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[BlueTheBrahma]

Napoleon has learned to crow, a good strong classic crow for his size. Not much more to report but thought it was a good photo.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Finally have both Marans laying. These are their eggs each day side by side, Chanel on the left and Natasha on the right. Natasha’s seem their usual colour, but Chanel’s eggs have seen a decline in darkness this third laying season. It’s to expected from a hen this age, but it’s a shame to not have her old 7/8 eggs.
At least she’s passed those genes on to a cockerel which can then improve the colour of the flock’s eggs throughout the next generations.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I thought Loki’s feathers looked nice and glossy in the first spring sun. It’s a shame his tail has gone so white, but my hair went white at 16 so I can’t say anything!

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

He was clearly relaxed in the photo, but look at that low angle despite his growing tail. Its a bit higher then he’s more active but certainly improved from his sire.

Loki is both his sire and his dam’s sire (because he’s line bred), so I have some questions regarding squirrel tail. Does anyone who has hatched more marans and also had the issue of squirrel tail ever noticed patterns in how it breeds? Loki is my F0 cock, and has bad squirrel tail. When I bred Loki to Natatsha, who has a low tail, both cockerels had squirrel tail. When I bred Loki to Chanel, who has a high tail, the pullet, Esme, had a high tail. But then when I bred Loki back to Esme, the cockerel, Napoleon, has a correct tail.

This trend makes me wonder if there is a gene for squirrel tail that is recessive. I always assumed it was more complex than this but it has been fixed even when this cross would be expected to increase the chances of having squirrel tail if it was controlled by many genes.

Any insight anyone?